


Ten Hearts and One For Luck

by sunspot (unavoidedcrisis)



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Femslash February, First Kiss, Fluff, Gift Giving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:34:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29409162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unavoidedcrisis/pseuds/sunspot
Summary: Petra sends Aloy on yet another fetch quest.
Relationships: Aloy/Petra Forgewoman
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	Ten Hearts and One For Luck

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anneapocalypse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anneapocalypse/gifts).



"Ten of them?" Aloy asks again, to be sure she's understanding.

"Ten. Well. Eight. Eight should be all I need, but then… Oh. Ten," Petra says. She looks skyward, a little frown twisting her mouth. "Nine? Oh, just get ten."

"Ten's fine, Petra, I can get them. Just clarifying."

"I'd hate to make you go back out."

Aloy chuckles. "This is a fourth thing you've sent me to find you in as many weeks. And I'm sure you'll need something else before the new moon."

Petra at least has the decency to look bashful. "You're right, I'm sorry, Aloy. I've been running you ragged. I'll be fine without the hearts for now I can always pick them up from a traveling merchant or something."

Aloy rolls her eyes with a smile. "I'm already going, no need to worry about it."

It takes her two days of fighting, stalking, and rolling out of the way of those ferocious kicks to come up with the ten Broadhead hearts Petra needs. The eleventh one doesn't take too much longer.

Her third day out is spent combing the edges of the river for riverglass, polished and smoothed by the tumbling water. When she's got enough of the colours and shapes she wants, Aloy retreats to her little camp, shaded by a jutting rock overhang. She sits hunched over the pieces arranging and rearranging until she has a breakthrough. The finished piece isn't quite what she had in mind, but it's as good as she can make with her own two hands.

The light is fading fast from the sky and Aloy doesn't want to chance the trip back to Free Heap in the pitch dark, so she curls up under the rock and sleeps until dawn.

Her journey back to Free heap is quick, excitement spurring her pace and putting lightness in her steps.

"Ten immaculate Broadhead hearts," Aloy says, gently setting the wrapped packet of machine parts on Petra's workbench. Petra startles a little and spins around, startling again when she sees how close Aloy is.

"Thank you," she says. "Really."

"You're really welcome," Aloy says. "And I… have one more."

"Oh, spares, great. I'm not usually clumsy, but having a backup is a great idea. They do crack easily." Aloy notices Petra is a bit pink in the cheeks as she talks.

She takes the modified Broadhead heart from the pouch she stored it in and holds it out.

Petra looks a bit puzzled, but she takes it from Aloy's hand.

"Open it," Aloy says, when Petra moves to put it with the others.

Petra gives her a look, still puzzled, but smiling, now recognizing it as a gift. When she peels back the cloth wrapping, her smile widens, then goes soft around the edges. She looks at Aloy with her wide, dark eyes and traces one finger along the edge of the handmade pendant.

"Did you make this?"

Aloy nods.

"You made it for me?"

She nods again. Petra's quiet for a long moment. Aloy scuffs her foot at a pebble on the stone floor and waits for an indication that Petra's happy for the gift, uncomfortable at the gesture, or just judging Aloy's amateur craftsmanship.

Aloy glances over her shoulder, thinking she heard someone approaching, and when she looks back, Petra's in her space, right in front of her. Aloy's about to be overrun with curiosity and just ask what Petra is thinking, but Petra touches her face, two fingers against Aloy's cheek, and then they're kissing.

It's soft and slow and Aloy savours every second of it, though she quickly loses count of them. Petra keeps one hand on Aloy, sliding her fingers back into Aloy's hair and holding gently. Aloy's hands come up to grip Petra's shoulders because she needs something to help her balance, dizzy with the closeness.

"Wow," Aloy says when Petra finally slowly reluctantly pulls away.

"'Wow?'" Petra repeats with a spreading grin.

Aloy's abashed, but she nods. "Sorry, I --"

"No, wow is good. I like wow."

There's another long moment, Petra still in her space, Aloy hesitant to move away any time soon.

"I suppose there's something else you'll need me to find for you?" Aloy asks, picking an imaginary piece of lint from Petra's shoulder as an excuse to try touching her.

Petra laughs, catching Aloy's hand and holding it fast. "No, I've got everything I need for now right here."

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Chocolate Box! <3


End file.
